Old Champions and New Worlds
by Eclips33
Summary: Before Team Urameshi won the Dark Tournament, another team succeeded. These five people have now separated and pay very little attention to the demon world. But the demon world just seems to find them, dragging innocents in the mess. A disaster that threatens all four worlds looms ever closer, centered around an untrained girl with no knowledge of demons... or angels.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any Yu Yu Hakusho characters or realms. All OCs are mine. If you like this, please review!

...

Laila screamed in fear as yet another weird-hair-colored guy appeared. Honestly, was every single creep in the universe trying to kill her? The newcomer with the hair of alternating red and gold strands, drew a sword. He raised it to swing at her. "Why did I have to go to school today," Laila shrieked.

…..

Earlier that morning:

"Get out of bed, Laila," the strict female voice ordered. Laila groaned and burrowed deeper under the blankets.

"Five more minutes," she grumbled.

"You'll be five minutes late if you stay in bed any longer," her foster mother retorted. "Come on, Laila. If you miss the bus, I will make you walk to school."

The threat really wasn't as scary as it could have been, since Laila only lived about ten blocks from Soraku High, but since the walk was still long enough she would be late, which would result in her being locked out of her first period class, one she actually enjoyed, Laila hopped out of bed.

Her foster mother, Amane, smiled at her. She really was beautiful when she smiled, Laila thought. Then she felt guilty. Though there's precious little to smile about. Since Amane had taken Laila in when Laila's mother disappeared, life had been rough on her. Trying to raise a child was extremely difficult, especially when the child resented you for trying to take her mother's place, as Laila had thought when she first came to live with the older woman. The resentment had been uncalled for and wrong, Laila knew, and she tried make amends, but it was just so difficult. Eventually, the two had settled into a fairly peaceful relationship. Amane was supporting and caring, but she was definitely the tough-love sort of person, which made it kind of difficult for Laila to get past her tough exterior. Laila was the typical teenager, though, and prone to saying things aimed specifically to hurt, which then forced Amane to put her tough exterior back between them again.

"Hurry up," Amane called from downstairs. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Laila jumped into a random pair of clothes and tumbled down the stairs-literally flipping down the short flight. She was good at acrobatics, and loved doing cartwheels or flips. A friend had once told her it was as if she were born to fly. Darting out the door, Laila saw said friend waiting for her outside.

"You just missed the bus," Katsu told her.

"If you were there to see the bus, why didn't you get on," Laila asked.

"And let you walk to school by yourself? What sort of friend would I be?" Katsu grinned. "Besides, Mr. Takoro is subbing in Literature. I want to skip, but I need a good reason… "

"Or you'll make your mom mad," Laila finished. "You know, I've known you for three years, but I've never met your mother. When are you going to introduce us?"

"Once Mom stops being so irritating. She'd embarrass me to death."

"I promise not to tease you," Laila said hopefully.

"Somehow, I think I've heard that before," Katsu retorted. "Then I heard a lot of teasing."

"Point," Laila said. "So, did you hear about that English test. I heard Kaito finally beat Suichi."

"Well, Suichi has been out of town for over a week. How'd you do on it?"

"Okay. 93% of the questions correct."

"Better than me by a whole percent," Katsu admitted. "Here's the school. If you hurry, you should make it to your class on time. If I procrastinate, I should be late for mine."

"Right, sure. Say hi to your mom for me!" Laila turned and ran off, unknowing that Katsu's face had taken on a decidedly unhappy, perhaps even inhuman, look. He watched her run off, then followed at a discreet distance, a hunter's look in his eyes.

"You're late, Miss Takedo," Mrs. Sukio said reprimandingly as Laila tried to sneak into the room.

"Sorry! I missed the bus and had to walk! I'm really sorry!"

"Do you have your homework done," Mrs. Sukio asked.

"Yes, I do." Laila rummaged around in her backpack, then shoved a handful of scattered papers at Mrs. Sukio. "Here you go!" She smiled brightly. 'Please don't send me to the office...'

"Then you're all caught up," Mrs. Sukio said. "Go sit down."

With a sigh of relief, Laila made her way toward the back row and turned her attention to the lecture. Something made more difficult by the gaggle of gossiping girls in front of her.

"He's skipping again," a tall, pretty girl asked. Laila frowned. People skipped all the time.

"But he just got back!" a shorter one protested. "What could possibly be so important he's gone again?"

"I don't know. I really thought Suichi was-"

Laila tuned them out. They were just talking about Suichi Minamoto. He was one of their grade's top scorers and viewed as handsome by most girls. Laila personally didn't like him. He just felt wrong, like he was trying to be a little too perfect. Well, he wasn't going to ruin this class for her! She forced her attention back to where Mrs. Sukio was telling them about the different classifications of demons as part of their mythology unit.

…..

Meanwhile, a demon was waiting in the hallway. Katsu heard Laila take a seat and let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. There was something going on today. The other demons were more excited, and a young human female was prime demon bait. While Katsu liked humans and generally stayed out of demon affairs, this was too big not to notice.

"You look a little suspicious standing there," a voice called out lightly to Katsu.

"I was late for class," Katsu replied. "I'll have to wait for the next period before the teacher lets me in."

"Really," Suichi asked him. There was an edge to his voice which had never been in the soft-spoken red-head before. "I could have sworn you weren't in Mrs. Sukio's class. Even if you were, she tends to let people in after the bell rings. Why aren't you in class?"

"What are you, the hallway monitor? It's not like you need more credit with the teachers."

"Is that what you think this is about, Katsu? Honestly?"

Katsu smirked. "Well, we both know you're not exactly as saintly as you pretend."

Suichi stiffened. "Do you have proof of any wrongdoings on my part?"

"Don't need it. Now, run along and pretend to be a little angel elsewhere." Katsu felt bad insulting the poor human like this, but he really needed him out of his hair.

"Today's really not a good day to skip class," Suichi said, his voice and demeanor back to the gentle scholar.

"Why? The teacher's doing extra patrols," Katsu scoffed. Dang, this boy was stubborn. "Don't worry about me. If you must know, there's a new sub in first period who I didn't really want to suffer through."

"A new sub," Suichi asked sharply. "Yes, that could explain it."

"Explain what," Katsu asked, suddenly on guard. Was there some danger at school? Well, other than him.

"What are you speaking of," Suichi asked, way too innocent again. "If you don't like the sub, perhaps you could go wait it out in the library?"

He knew something! "What trouble have you gotten yourself into, Suichi," Katsu asked sharply. "What is so dangerous about today?"

Suichi chuckled nervously. "There's nothing going on. I'm just thinking a new sub means more detentions."

"You're lying," Katsu said, knowing it very clearly. Well, sensing it, but his instincts were never wrong. He closed his eyes and sensed with his youkai, looking for a flicker of supernatural activity. What he found was an inferno. He opened his eyes just to check again. Nope, he wasn't wrong. Suichi was a demon, or at least possessed by one.

...


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or its characters

_Previously on Demon World:_

_"You look a little suspicious standing there," Suichi called to Katsu._

_"Class is boring." Katsu replied._

_"Today's not a good day to be skipping class," Suichi said._

_"Why," Katsu asked, closing his eyes. "You know something I don't?"_

_"Not at all," Suichi said, a little too quickly. Katsu opened his eyes to see if there were any specks of demonic energy around. Instead, there was an inferno. Suichi Minamoto was a demon._

"Something wrong," Suichi asked.

"Yeah, something most definitely is," Katsu said. He was just about to challenge Suichi to a fight to the death to neutralize any potential threat, then remembered Laila was just through the door. He couldn't risk it. He would not let harm come to her. He needed to know exactly what Suichi was, and there was only one person he could call for that. Now, to get away from the demon. "I need to get a book from the library." Suichi made no move to stop him, so he turned and walked away. He allowed himself to smirk. 'Pitifully simple.'

"Katsu," Suichi called.

Cursing inwardly, Katsu turned, face blank. "Yes?"

"The library's in the other direction."

"Oh, right," Katsu said. Then he remembered something else. If he tagged Suichi with his energy, he would be able to keep an eye on him wherever the demon went. Of course, he couldn't risk manifesting power in front of Suichi, but...he grabbed a small robin's feather from his pocket. It was already imbued with his own energy. When placed on a target, it would stick and send out a signal which allowed him to spy through it. He clapped Suichi on the shoulder as he passed by, noting with some amusement the 'school-boy' tensed warily. This demon was definitely a fighter. "Thanks," he said to explain his unnecessary contact. He noted darkly Suichi relaxed, failing to notice him as a threat. 'Pathetic,' he thought. 'He's been in the human world far too long.'

He pulled out a small mirror and opened it, sending out a silent call. Within seconds, a black-haired man appearing 17 or 18 answered. Mismatched red and golden-orange glared at him. "This better be good," Caan warned. Katsu found himself relaxing. The half-demon on the screen was one of his best friends, and wouldn't hesitate to come to his aid in an instant.

"It might be. There's a boy."

"So?"

"He's glowing with youkai. And he's at the school."

"You called me earlier when the ice demoness started coming two years ago. I told you she was completely harmless. If anything, Yukina would help you hide Laila. This had best not be a false alarm."

"His name is Suichi Minamoto," Katsu said, ignoring Caan's rant. If it were someone Caan were protecting, he'd be making them look up everyone who came within a hundred meters of his protectee.

"Well, I've got good news and bad news," Caan said after a minute. "Give me a few to get my data together."

"All right. I put an 'eye' on Suichi. Going to spy now. Call me back when you know something."

Caan nodded, then the mirror only showed Katsu's own reflection. He paused for a moment, studying it to make sure no trace of his demon form peaked through. Brown hair? Check. Brown eyes? Check. All right, good. He looked as normal as ever. Then he closed both the mirror and his eyes, searching for the 'eye' he had placed on Suichi.

He wasn't in class. What was going on? Suichi rarely missed class ever. Why was he just waiting in the courtyard? Wait, movement. A short black-haired boy with red eyes stepped forward. He wore a long black coat and carried himself like a trained warrior.

"Kurama," the boy said irritably. "Exactly why did you have ferry girl tell me to waste my time here?"

"It's Suichi when I'm at school," the red-headed reminded the shorter boy. 'So he's not possessed, but a real demon,' Katsu thought. 'Good. I'll be able to kill him easier.'

"Your insistence on such secrecy is foolish," Hiei stated. "These humans are no threat to you. Simply kill them and be done with it."

'Well, Caan wouldn't object to me offing him,' Katsu said to himself. 'The half-demon is rather fearsome when demons decide to mass-murder humans.'

"You know I cannot do that," Suichi - no, Kurama-replied.

"It'd disappoint your mom," Hiei sneered. "Your time among humans has made you weak."

Kurama sighed. "We could argue for hours, and still get nothing done. I called you because something's going on. The lesser demons are in a stir, and they seem to be focused on this school. There is another thing." He reached back onto his shoulder and tapped the feather 'eye'. "I cannot remove this. It appears to be demonic in essence, yet there is no demon within."

"How'd you let yourself get tagged," Hiei asked. He seemed to be mocking Kurama, but he also seemed truly concerned.

Kurama started to answer, but a faint buzzing from the mirror forced Katsu's attention back to his own position and the mirror.

"He's talking with another demon," Katsu told Caan. "The second demon called Suichi Kurama. Kurama has also noticed something going on, but he thinks the school is the target."

"Or someone in it," Caan said. "Suichi is also known as Youko Kurama."

"Seriously," Katsu asked. "He's a legend. He's never been-"

"Enough flattering him. I know what he can do," Caan said sharply. "There are three others you should watch out for. Kazuma Kuwabara, a human spiritual. He wields a spirit sword, but appears to be obsessed with honor."

"So appeal to that and prevent him from whacking me to pieces. Got it. Who's next?"

"Yusuke Urameshi. He used to work for the Spirit World."

"The what?"

Caan sighed. "If you would pay attention to the lectures I give you people, you would know this already."

"I have a short attention span."

"I know. The Spirit World, if you can focus long enough for this, is kind of like the administration bureau between different worlds. They're responsible for keeping most demons out of Earth, though they did fail miserably during the Feudal Era."

"I am aware of that. I was there."

"So was I. Anyway, after that, they started monitoring demons who passed over to Earth, mostly less powerful demons. C, D, and B class demons."

"So no As, super As, or S class, right. Those are really bad news."

"No. No really bad news demons. Anyway, the Spirit World commissions a Spirit Detective to keep these lesser demons in line. Yusuke is the current one. He's also an S-Class demon and the Toushin, or Demon War God. It's a long story, just accept it for now. You're only higher Super-A, so if it comes to fighting him, run away or let me handle it."

"Sure, rub in the fact you're S-Class. Who's the last one?"

"The master of the Jagan Eye. You know your ability to locate people through your little 'eyes'? He can do it without the 'eye'. He's mastered the Dragon of Darkness technique."

"Dang, he's that good? That's an A-Class attack. What's his name?"

"His name," a cold voice said from behind them, "Is Hiei. And he is really interested in killing you,"

"Looks like I don't need you anymore," Katsu told Caan. "Call you back after I get rid of the dragon pipsqueak."

"Antagonizing someone who is quite likely as strong as you is hardly the wisest move," Caan warned.

"He is not stronger than me," Katsu retorted.

"Really? Because I'm reading his power levels from there and it seems to me-" Caan was cut off as Hiei slammed the lid of the mirror down.

"I was just about to do that," Katsu complained. "It is not right to take away a person's chance at telling off his leader."

Hiei pulled back the cloak, revealing the hilt of a sword strapped to his left waist. "When you left that thing on Kurama, you really should have made sure it couldn't be tracked back to you. Now, you will find yourself in a great deal of trouble."

"Been in trouble before. This isn't it." Katsu met Hiei's red eyes squarely. "Should be glad you've got that headband on, shouldn't I? Makes it less likely for you to use your little dragon on me. Not that I think you would, in Suichi's school, but you don't seem to be someone who cares about innocent lives, or about what your allies wish you to do."

"So you know of the darkness flame, but not my name," Hiei said. "I don't know whether to be insulted or flattered."

"I don't have time to fight you," Katsu retorted. "Come find me after school, and we can talk. Or try to kill each other. Bring Kurama or one of the others if you wish."

"And give you time to round-up backup with that little mirror of yours," Hiei sneered.

"Please," Katsu replied in a similar tone. "Like I need backup."

"And you intend no harm to any of the students in this school during the duration of the day," Hiei asked.

"Wait… "Katsu said. "Personal note in the voice… Fire demon-or emiko?"

"What are you babbling about," Hiei asked coldly.

"It is emiko, isn't it? The son of an ice demoness… You're the ice maiden Yukina's brother, aren't you?"

"What is it to you," Hiei snarled.

Katsu shrugged. "Absolutely nothing. You obviously don't want others to know, and I see no reason to go against that."

"Do you not know how valuable an ice maiden is," Hiei asked sharply.

"Yes. But I'm not in that business. She's of no use, or interest, to me. Second period is starting soon, and the teacher is actually somewhat amusing. I will meet you outside the gates after school."

"I will be keeping an eye on this place," Hiei warned. "Should anyone here come to harm, you will be the first I destroy."

Katsu took a moment to grin back at him. "Shorty, I could almost learn to like you." The bell rang, and Hiei vanished.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey. This chapter may have random switching of names. See bottom for chart of which names belong to which person.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_Previously on Demon World:_

_"I'm really interested in killing you," Hiei told Katsu._

_"I don't really think you want to do this in your friend's school," Katsu retorted._

_"I will meet you after this stupid 'school' thing outside the gates," Hiei told him. "Should anyone come to harm here, you will be the first I kill."_

_Katsu grinned. "You know, Shorty, I could almost learn to like you."_

_0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0_

"There you are," Laila whispered to him as he snuck into Chemistry. "What took you so long? I was hoping you would tell me _**why you skipped first period to chat with Suichi!**_"

"He came across me procrastinating," Katsu said rapidly, wondering how she had seen him. Then it hit him. There was a window in the back her first period's room.

"That guy's trouble," Laila warned. "He's hiding something. He's probably got a whole bunch of demons he's trying to cover up!"

Katsu glanced at her sharply, but it appeared she was not psychic or spying on him, and had no idea of the truth in her statement. Still, it was good she didn't trust him. That was one less demon who could kidnap her without a fight.

"You okay," Laila asked. "You've been staring at me for almost a minute now."

"What?" Katsu said a little louder than he'd meant to. "No, I was just thinking." He glanced around at the other students, all staring at him. "You've had your laugh, now go back to whatever you were doing," he said lightly.

"Too bad they won't really do that," a soft voice at his shoulder said.

"Shoo, Kurama," Katsu replied, too quiet for the other humans to hear.

"Hiei said after school. Do you still intend to meet us?"

"Obviously."

"Without backup?"

"Yes."

"Then be warned. Yusuke has heard what is commencing and will be there also. Hiei mentioned you had been informed of our abilities."

"If you're trying to scare me off, you're wasting your time," Katsu retorted.

"Very well then." Kurama replied. "However, since you are aware of my name, why don't you tell me yours?"

"Certainly. If you answer me one thing in return?"

"That sounds reasonable."

"Then here goes. Demons call me Orias. I am a member of the Unguis, a trio of bandits who have been active for centuries. Guess thieving does run in a demon's blood, huh?"

Kurama gave no reply. Indeed, he was so obviously giving no reply Orias knew he had struck a nerve. "What do you wish to know," Kurama asked stiffly.

"Why go to school here," Orias asked.

"Seventeen years ago, I was wounded and forced to hide in the human realm. I merged with an unborn human child, and found I cared for my human mother. If you wish to mock me, go ahead."

"Why in Katateros would I do that," Orias asked. "It's a perfectly logical thing to do, especially for demons like us. We get attached to kindness more easily."

"Then you also have been attached to a human," Kurama asked sharply.

"Class is starting, boys!" the teacher snapped. "Quit gossipping amonst yourselves like two old ladies and sit down!"

"Apologies," Orias said. Kurama said nothing, just moved to sit on the other side of Laila. Orias fought the urge to force him away from her. Instead he turned back to the teacher and tried to focus on making it through the rest of the day.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Suichi=Kurama=Youko

Katsu=Orias

Katateros=Stay Tuned To Find Out=It's Relevant to the Story

Reviews=Happy Author


	4. Chapter 4

Hello, all. Am I talking to myself? Oh, well, won't be the first time. Dear myself and I, neither the two of you nor me own Yu Yu Hakusho or its characters. Sincerely, whichever one of me is currently talking. I think it's I. Please review! Anyone!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

At lunch, Laila frowned at Katsu. "Are you all right? This is the fifth time today I've had to repeat myself."

"Just a little headache," Katsu said. It wasn't true, but how do you tell someone you're preoccupied because you're going to meet up with a group of demons after school and probably have to fight at least one, if not more, of them. Why am I doing this? Oh, no reason really, it's just that I'm not actually a human, I'm a demon who's nearly 800 years old. Yeah, that would not go over well. He realized he was staring off again and chuckled nervously. "It's nothing."

"You're sure that's all," Laila asked suspiciously.

"Absolutely. Changing the subject, did you forget to take notes for Math, too?"

Laila groaned. "I wasn't even paying attention. A certain red-haired jerk was talking to himself behind me."

"Suichi?"

Laila nodded. "I wonder how his fan girls would react if they knew he was mentally unbalanced."

Katsu frowned. "I don't really think he likes the fan girls. He gets pestered by them all the time."

"You don't need to stand up for him," Laila said sharply.

"I'm not standing up for him. I'm stating a fact." Laila looked doubtful. Katsu continued, "When they go to talk to him. Have you ever seen him actually look glad to see them? Because I haven't. When he sees them, there's a flicker of irritation."

"So you're saying he might be a decent guy," Laila asked after a pause. "I've seen the irritation too, but I never really gave it any thought. Why does he put up with them if he doesn't want them around?"

"Well, they're teenage girls," Katsu said without thinking. "They can be real monsters when they're mad." He looked up from his food to see Laila glaring at him. "Not that that's a bad thing," he said hurriedly. "But you have to admit it is true."

"All right, it is." Laila said shortly. Katsu relaxed. Thank goodness Laila had always been good at working around her emotions and thinking things out logically. "So, you're saying Suichi might not be an absolute monster, then?"

Katsu grimaced. Maybe he should have just let her keep hating Suichi. "He probably isn't a complete monster." Just a demon, and while demons aren't always completely evil(I mean, look at how well I turned out) most of them are not favorable to humans.

'He likes his mom,' a little voice in his head said.

'But he's Youko Kurama,' another voice reminds the first one. 'He may have been a thief, but he also was extremely violent and took absolutely no pity on his victims, most of whom he tortured to death.'

'That was before. This is now.'

'A leopard can't change its spots.'

'He's a kitsune. So there!'

'He's a demon.'

'So are you.'

'I've murdered plenty of people myself.'

"Seriously, what is wrong with you today," Laila demanded, breaking into his mental argument.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Katsu said quickly, forcing a laugh. Then a new train of thought occurred to him. "You said K-Suichi was talking to himself in class. What was he saying?"

"It was complete nonsense. He kept talking to an imaginary friend called Botan. He said, 'I want some peace and quiet. The Makai has settled down for now, right?... Then don't call me unless the world is ending again.' After that, I glared at him and he quieted down, but still, weird."

"Yeah, strange," Katsu agreed, but he felt relieved. It seemed Kurama was still working for the spirit world, which meant he would probably stick to spirit world rules and refrain from murdering humans. Laila should be safe from him. Katsu, however, was an upper-A Class Demon in the human world, which was a bomb just waiting to happen. Kurama and the Spirit Detective he worked with could very well decide it was in humanity's best interests to either imprison him in the Makai, which was the demon world, or murder him. For a second he regretted not gathering backup, then vetoed the option again. He wasn't the kind of person who went back on his word. If he died, he died. If he was imprisoned, he would find some way to escape or call Caan and get busted out.

Laila sighed as Katsu went off into his own little world again. Something was seriously wrong with her friend. Katsu had never cared about Suichi before, now he was all but asking her his shoe size. She remembered the scene she'd seen in the hallway earlier. For some reason Katsu had been loitering outside the classroom. Suichi had appeared and said something she couldn't hear to him. Though he had appeared friendly, and Katsu hadn't looked like he was angry at first, as their conversation progressed, both boys had become tenser until after a certain remark Suichi had made, Katsu had closed his eyes for a short time, and when he opened them, he was scared. Laila clenched her fists.

She remembered the time in Second Period when Suichi had stopped and conversed quietly with Katsu. Then, also, Katsu had been nervous, though he had relaxed toward the middle of that talk, after calling Suichi 'Kurama.' It can't have been a nickname, since Katsu had never even spoken to the jerk before today. There was only one thing it could have been. Suichi was trying to threaten her friend into doing something for him. After all, Suichi was practically in a gang. He and two well-known thugs from a different school hung out often.

"Don't you two look serious," a light, teasing voice asked them.

Laila jerked around to see a girl with light blue-green and reddish-brown eyes. Standing barely above five feet, she was one of the nicest girls in school. She was a little strange, though, especially in her taste in boys. When she started coming, Katsu had been extremely nervous around her. Seeing Katsu had a crush on the girl, Laila had tried to do some matchmaking, but her schemes had abruptly ended when she saw Yukina flirting with the taller gang-member Suichi hung out with sometimes. Her boyfriend, Kuwabara, had actually been threatening his shorter, dark-haired friend, Yusuke, upon which Yusuke had punched him backward several feet. Kuwabara had immediately begun asking Yukina to heal him, flirting outrageously. Now she thought about it, Suichi had been there as well, laughing.

"I need to talk to you," Laila told Yukina. She grabbed her arm and practically yanked her out of the lunchroom, missing the way Katsu tensed and got up to follow them. Yukina didn't, but decided it was just over-protectiveness, sort of the way Kuwabara was with her at times.

"You know Suichi, right," Laila asked. "Tell me about him."

Yukina smiled wearily. "He has a girlfriend."

"That's not it at all!" Laila protested. "Look, I know he hangs out with your boyfriend and that Yusuke person, so you also hang around with him. I think he's trying to get Katsu in trouble."

"What do you mean," Yukina asked.

"He was talking to Katsu earlier. He wanted to make sure Katsu would meet him after school for something. Katsu said that if Suichi was trying to scare him off, he'd have to do better than that."

Yukina shrugged it aside. "You know boys. Suichi probably offered to tutor Katsu after school and they're teasing each other."

"That makes sense," Laila said. "But Katsu would have told me if it were something that harmless."

"He probably didn't want to look like he needed help with his grades," Yukina explained.

"No. One of the reasons I like Katsu is he doesn't let his pride turn into boasting. He's confident, yes, but he isn't arrogant."

"So, did you finally tell him you like him?" Yukina teased.

"That's not the point," Laila snapped, blushing. "Look, I'm worried about him. I just have one question, and I want you to answer it honestly, okay?"

"I'll do the best I can," Yukina said, puzzled.

"Who is Kurama?"

"Where did you hear that name," Yukina asked, tone sharper than before.

"Katsu called Suichi that. I need to know, is Suichi hiding something? Yukina, I know he's your friend, but I don't trust him. There's something wrong with him. I can't explain it, but it feels like he's two people at once. He's trouble."

Yukina was looking very uncomfortable by now.

"Laila," Katsu called from down the hall. "Bell's about to ring. You should probably go grab your book bag."

"You won't be a gentleman and carry it for me," Laila asked, hiding her irritation at being interrupted. Yukina was about to cave, she knew it!

"Nice try," Katsu retorted. "There should be a law about backpacks being so heavy."

"Alright, I'm going," Laila grumbled. "Are you at least going to come with me?"

"In a second. I need to ask Yukina something."

"Come on! Katsu, what is going on with you? Is Suichi bullying you?"

"No. Go grab your backpack."

"I might be a girl, but I'm not incompetent," Laila yelled. "I can help! Just tell me what's going on!"

Katsu seemed to be thinking something over. "You're right, you need to know. But not here at school. I will tell you later on. Go straight home on the bus. Do not walk home. I will see you around five, or someone else will be there to tell you."

"Your mom," Laila asked skeptically.

"Definitely not my mom. Nice try, though. I need you to stay away from me for the rest of the afternoon, okay?"

"Why?"

"Trust me on this. I'll explain everything later."

Laila frowned. She really wanted to know what was going on, now! Unfortunately, she knew Katsu too well. If she pushed before he was ready, he would draw away completely and she would never find out. "I'll go grab my backpack."

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	5. Chapter 5

Once again, I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. If you've read this far, please review? Sorry for any spelling mistakes.

Katsu watched Laila to make sure she got back to a crowded area, then faced Yukina. The ice maiden was nervous, and probably with good cause. Ice maidens were coveted by most demons. Their tears became beautiful jewels which served as currency. Fortunately for her, though, Katsu wasn't one of those demons. "What did you tell her," Katsu asked.

"She seemed to think Kurama was a gang-name or something. She's wrong. Suichi's not involved in a gang." Yukina didn't seem to know whether he knew about Suichi being a demon or whether he had just overheard the name and decided it made a good nickname.

"I'm a demon too," Katsu told her. The nervousness turned to fear. "Relax. Hiei already threatened my life if I killed anyone here."

"Why was Hiei at school," Yukina asked. "He hates humans."

"I may have tipped my hand to Kurama. Look, I don't have much time. I need some information."

"I'm not telling you anything you can use against my friends," Yukina stated solemnly.

"That's not what I'm after. I already know I'll lose if I fight them alone. I need to know if Kurama or Hiei would go for a hostage if they were planning to fight someone."

"Is this about Laila," Yukina asked.

"Yes."

"Why tell me this? I'm a demon, too, and one who would be cheering for Kurama if you two fought."

Katsu shrugged. "Out of everyone I could talk to at the moment, you're the only one who could tell me whether or not they would threaten Laila. I don't know how they fight, and it doesn't really matter, since I'm not going to win."

"Then why are you even fighting," Yukina asked. "I assume you'll be trying to fight Kurama since he better able to get to Laila, even though he wouldn't do such a dishonorable thing, but Kurama won't go easy on you. He can and does kill without hesitation."

"Yeah, well, wish him luck. I might not have a chance of winning, but I definitely don't plan on dying."

"Why do you have to fight," Yukina asked. "Can't you just walk away and let him win? You'd only be losing your pride instead of your life!"

"I'd thought of it," Katsu admitted. "I might have done it if things were simpler, but as it is, it's not just my pride on the line. It's a bit more complicated than that."

"It's a pity. You seem nice."

"I'd love to be able to say I am, but that would be a lie," Katsu said with a slight warmth in his voice. "You, on the other hand… it's nice to know not all demons are cold-blooded murderers. I meet so few innocent demons, it is always memorable when I do."

"You don't talk as if you are a demon," Yukina pointed out.

"I guess not. By the way, be careful today, and don't be surprised if this short demon named Hiei got drafted to babysit you. There's something going on with the lesser demons. I can't decide if they're after Kurama, me, or you. Just fair warning."

"Why warn me?"

"See you around." Katsu went to go find Laila. The moment he spotted her, his blood ran cold. She was chatting cheerfully with a familiar green-haired woman.

"What are you doing here," Katsu hissed at Ala, one of his closest friends, a plant demon, and currently the object of his intense ire.

She, the little weed, actually had the nerve to smile at him. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Drop the act, Ala. Laila, when I said stay away from me for the rest of the day, I meant it. Stay away from her too."

"You know," Laila said crossly. "I am beginning to get very angry with you. You had better have a good explanation for this."

"I said later," Katsu practically growled, his patience worn thin. Was the universe determined to throw every single annoyance it could at him? Finally catching on, Laila grabbed his hand, squeezed it reassuringly, and wandered off.

"Actually, Caan sent me to watch her," Ala retorted the moment Laila was out of sight. "Since you've arranged to be in a fight to the death with three demons who outrank you and a human who has been known to kill up to B-Class demons, he decided you needed a temporary babysitter."

"She's not a baby."

Ala made a noise which in a less dignified seventeen-year-old-looking-girl might have been labeled a snort. "She is sixteen. You are, what, 800? Caan is only a decade younger than you, while I am nearly a thousand years old. She is a child."

"You're only nine hundred," Katsu retorted.

"That's nearly a thousand, Orias," Ala snapped.

"It's Katsu here."

"Why? Don't tell me you've grown attached to the girl. She's an assignment, nothing more."

"Like Fey was," Orias returned, referring to the half-demon woman whom Ala had, thirty years ago, been assigned to kill. At the time, Fey had been a five-year-old with a way-too-knowing gleam in her eyes and a too-cute-for-her-own-good appearance. Ala had basically fallen in love with the child and defied Caan in order to raise Fey as her own. Though this decision had caused the two to come to blows, Ala had been allowed to raise Fey as her own. She was still raising Fey, since the girl had a strange way of aging twice as slowly as a human, making her appear sixteen right now.

"That's different," Ala retorted. "Caan was not enthusiastic about killing Fey in the first place. He is, however, rather determined to keep this girl safe for some reason. That means he wants you to keep your distance emotionally!"

"Hn."

"He's serious, Orias. He is taking this girl's safety very seriously."

"He should. He's the reason her mother was killed."

"That was an accident and we both know it!"

"Yes," Orias said softly. "But I was close to her mother and Caan knew it. Telling me to keep my distance from Laila… I do hope he isn't planning to repeat history in this generation."

Ala glared at him as if he were crazy. "How could you say such a thing? Caan would never just decide to murder someone who hadn't hurt him."

"By killing Laila, he could-"

"He could gain nothing," Ala interrupted fiercely. "I don't know how you can even think such things!"

"It's what a demon would do."

"It is not, however, what Caan would do. Ever!"

"Okay, I'll back off on that for now," Orias agreed. "How exactly did Caan know I was planning on fighting Kurama's group?"

Ala shrugged. "He's Caan. There's a reason you asked him about Yukina and Kurama. It's his job to know this stuff."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Orias cracked a smile. "After all, there's a reason he's the boss."

"Yes, there is. He is the most well-informed and is the most capable of keeping his head and his temper when dealing with demons, humans, and the rest of those people. Including us."

"Agreed. So you will keep an eye on Laila while I deal with the others?"

"Fairly certain I already said that," Ala muttered. "If I need help, I'll send a flower."


	6. Chapter 6

Does anyone honestly think I own Yu Yu Hakusho? In case you do, it's a lie.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"You showed," Kurama said, leaning on the outside of the wall around the school. He snapped his book closed. "I'm leading you down an alleyway and to an abandoned dump. A few of my friends will be there. Last chance to run away."

"And miss a halfway decent fight? No, thanks. Although, just out of curiosity, what exactly are we fighting over again?"

"You're an A-class demon in the human world."

"So are you," Orias pointed out amiably.

"Ah, but I have permission from Reikai to be here."

"Oh, gah, those idiots. You work for them?"

"I work with their Spirit Detective. It works quite well. I get a few fights, remain in the human realm, and am not attacked by Reikai."

"So the thief became a cop."

"And what exactly did you become? There's no reason for a demon thief to remain in this city. There aren't any real treasures here to tempt you."

"That's where you would be wrong," Orias replied. "This city hums with power. The barrier between the Ningenkai and Makai is thinnest here. If you know where to look, you can find seeds of potential everywhere."

"Psychic humans."

"Incorrect. It's not spiritual power as a demon would think of it."

"What is it, then," Kurama asked, and Orias could see the fox demon's hunger for knowledge very clearly in the human body.

"Sorry, but I can't just give information out for free." Orias smirked. He'd forgotten how much fun it was to bait kitsune.

"Guess I'll just have to beat it out of you, then."

"Not very subtle for a thief," Orias taunted.

"Brute force has its place."

"I suppose… To be truthful, I find it tiresome."

"You're an odd demon."

"So are you. Youko Kurama. Kitsune thief born over a millenium ago in Makai. You rose through the ranks quickly, becoming a legendary thief. Partnered with Kuronue, Youko, and some nameless weaklings you used for cannon fodder. Stole Yomi's sight when he became too difficult to control. Guilt's still eating at you for that one, which is strange. You also feel guilty for the death of your partner Kuronue, killed when you underestimated the defenses of a target. You don't have very good luck working with others."

"You did your research. So did I. Turns out Orias is actually a fairly big name in Makai. You are one of the Unguis, a trio of demon thieves. Your partners are Jotun and Ala, both nearly a thousand. You're younger than them."

"This body is nearly two hundred years younger than them. You told me something personal about you earlier today, so I will return the favor. This isn't my first body. My soul was transplanted into a demon body during my fourth century."

"Out of curiousity, if you were an immortal before, but not a demon, what were you?"

"That is for you to try to beat out of me. Good luck."

"The same to you."

"Before we begin," Orias said, looking at Kurama's three friends, "I want your word that, should I lose, or if I should win, I'm the only one harmed. I don't want you going after Laila."

"The human girl you were with at school," Kurama asked, surprised. "Why would a demon care about a human?"

"Your word," Orias repeated firmly.

"Fine, we promise not to go after whoever this person is," Yusuke said.

"Pathetic," Hiei muttered off to one side. "This one's almost as attached as Kurama is to his mother."

"Or you are to your sister," Orias said, smiling pleasantly. He sighed as Hiei draw his sword. "You aren't going to use that piece of steel, so put it away. This is my fight and Kurama's, and you won't interfere unless you think the fox is going to die."

Scowling, Hiei sheathed his sword. "If you beat the fox," he said. "You will face me next."

"Expected." Orias glanced at Kurama. "Shall we try to kill each other, then?"

"Fine by me." Kurama pulled a rose out of his hair.

Yusuke snorted as Orias remained relaxed. "He doesn't think a flower's a threat, does he?"

"He knows what it is," Hiei corrected. "He tries to hide it, but he tensed when the flower appeared."

'This is going to hurt,' Orias thought. "The first move is yours, Kurama."

Awaiting no further invitation, Kurama attacked. Before Orias could even try to block, a coil of a thorny whip sliced toward his throat. Red liquid dripped onto the ground.

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A/N: For those who felt some characters are a bit OOC, I apologize. This fic. is supposed to take place about two years after the demon tournament, so I'm acting on the assumption the characters have grown up a little, maybe a little less naive, and am, to be blunt, fitting them into the story instead of working the story around them.


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